There are five games on Tuesday’s NBA slate. The Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Lakers and Suns are playing the second night of a back-to-back.
This article was written on Monday night. Any changes will be updated. Keep track of all the injury news at DK Network.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks ($9,700)
Do I love Flagg? I do. Don’t worry wifey, it’s only for fantasy. Do I like the price tag? I do not. My wife is nodding in agreement because she is the financially responsible one. The usage rate is only 27% for Flagg and there’s a good chance he will end up in the 30 FPTS range. That said, Flagg does have the ability to stuff the stat sheet and has put up over 50 FPTS in four of the last seven games. Milwaukee plays slow but the Bucks are 29th in defensive rating over the last 15 games.
Other Options: Jalen Brunson ($9,300), Jalen Green ($7,700), Daniss Jenkins ($6,900)
Value
Coby White, Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets ($5,200)
Since arriving in Charlotte, White has become the microwave scorer off the bench. And it’s a good role for him because White is a professional getter of buckets and is garnering a usage rate over 30%. Unfortunately, he’s only playing around 20 minutes a night. Despite that, he’s put up at least 20 FPTS 11 times with six of those over 30 FPTS. I like White to get close to the 30 FPTS mark in this one.
Other Options: Gary Trent Jr. ($5,100), Nolan Traore ($5,000), A.J. Green ($4,100)
Forward
Stud
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks ($6,300)
Smith is a low-usage player who does good work on the boards. Plays aren’t drawn up for him, but his ability to space the floor is vital for a shooting-deficient Rockets team. Smith is converting 35% of his hoists from downtown. The Rockets have two offensive gravity pullers in Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, so defenses have to account for both and often send double teams. That affords plenty of open looks for Smith. He’s put up at least 30 FPTS in seven of the last nine games with a high of 49 FPTS. I don’t like the matchups for the higher-priced options at the position, so moving down to Smith seems like the viable path.
Other Options: Jalen Green ($7,700), Brandon Miller ($7,600)
Value
Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns at Orlando Magic ($3,200)
The Suns’ 2024 first-rounder began the season as a starter but slowly dissipated into a role player off the bench, playing minutes in the teens. Over the last week or so, he’s been getting more run and delivering some fantasy goodies. Always known as a good defender, Dunn has provided the D stats, but he’s also been scoring and grabbing rebounds. Over the last four games, he’s played at least 20 minutes in all while contributing 19, 31, 27.2 and 25.5 FPTS. This was written before Monday’s game against Memphis. The price and potential upside are appealing.
Other Options: Tristan da Silva ($5,100), Gary Trent Jr. ($5,100), Josh Minott ($5,100), Andre Jackson Jr. ($4,400)
Center
Stud
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks ($9,200)
The man they call Baby Jokic has flashed at times this season, displaying his all-around game while stuffing the stat sheet. He’s always a threat to mess around and triple-double. There have been lulls, though, as he’s finished with fewer than 40 FPTS 23 times. That said, Sengun has gone for over 70 FPTS five times, with two of those coming in the last four games. Now, New York has been great neutralizing opposing centers, decreasing their FPPM by 16.39%, but Sengun is skilled enough to rack up the fantasy goodies against anyone and the top of the center position is barren. A ringing endorsement!
Other Options: Jabari Smith Jr. ($6,300)
Value
Paul Reed, Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors ($4,500)
Reed has started eight games this season and put up at least 20 FPTS in all. Five of those were over 30 FPTS with a high of 63.8 FPTS. Both Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are out for this one, so Reed should make his ninth start.
Other Options: Moussa Diabate ($5,800), Jakob Poeltl ($5,700), Wendell Carter Jr. ($5,500), Oso Ighodaro ($5,200), Josh Minott ($5,100)
